Bindings, Port Types, and Messages

By default, when you drag and drop a port type on the Bindings/Partner Link Types pane, JDeveloper displays the Create Binding dialog. If you wish to create a partner link type, click next to Add and select Add partnerLinkType from the dropdown menu.

In the Create Binding dialog, you have several binding choices to choose from. For information about each choice, press Help in the dialog.

In the example, you will select S OAP12 as the communication protocol, which is SOAP version 1.2.

After you create the binding, expand the elements on the WSDL visual editor and click input or output to see how the message is associated with the operation and binding.

In the example so far, you have created a message, port type and binding. When you imported the XML schema into the WSDL, JDeveloper added the message and port type for you.

A message defines the data elements of an operation. In the example, the message has one part that references the XSD element in the schema.

A port type composes messages into operations. A port type is the main element of a WSDL. It describes the web service, the operations that can be performed, and the messages that are involved. In the example, there is one operation, processRating. The operation has an input message and an output message.

A binding is a specific communication protocol for each message in each operation of a port type. In the example, the message format of the port type is Document/Literal, and the protocol is SOAP 1.2.

Compared to traditional programming, a part in a message is like a parameter of a function call, and a port type is like a function library. In the port type, the input message is like a method parameter, and the output message is like the return data from the method.

Copyright © 1997, 2009, Oracle. All rights reserved.